Bargain-hunting mum saves £300 a month: 'I'm addicted to saving'

BARGAIN MAD: Natalie Cooper saves thousands of pounds a year by cutting coupons and trawling the internet [PH ]

Winning luxury country breaks, buying designer clothes for £2.99 and getting a life's supply of yogurt is all in a day's play for Britain's biggest bargain-hunter.

Single mum, Natalie Cooper, spends two hours a day trawling the internet for the best deals. And her talent for finding bargains on everything from shampoo to holidays means the 24-year-old doesn't have to work.

"I actually save more than I would earn if I went out and got a full-time job," she said. "I have won around £2,000 worth of prizes from competitions this year and that's not taking into account what I've saved from coupons and vouchers."

The savvy shopper manages to save up to £300 a month on the groceries for her and her daughter and has reduced her travel costs from a hefty £160 to just £40.

STEAL OF A DEAL: The mum-of-one managed to bag a pair of £80 boots for £2.99 [PH ]

“My friends just cringe at me because we can't go anywhere unless I have a coupon”

Natalie Cooper

But the self-confessed Scrooge admits that her bargain-hunting is spiralling out of control.

"I've become addicted to saving," she said. "It's a competitive world and I really think there should be an addicted-to-bargain-hunting anonymous."

Her saving 'addiction', which she describes as an 'anti-gambling problem' started when she was pregnant with her two-year-old daughter Madison.

"I used to spend every penny I had when I only had to look after myself," she admitted. "But as soon as I was pregnant everything changed."

As she started planning for the arrival of her baby she realised how expensive things like nappies, formula milk and bottles could be.

But after searching the internet the bargain-mad mum started finding vouchers and coupons to cut the cost of everyday essentials.

And when it comes to clothes the frugal fashionista, who recently brought a pair of £80 leather boots for £2.99, says she does miss out on shopping with friends because of her saving obsession.

"When my friends ask me to go shopping I hate it and I can't enjoy it even if there's a sale," she admitted. "My friends just cringe at me because we can't go anywhere unless I have a coupon."

Although Natalie loves coupons and vouchers it is competitions that she finds the most rewarding. "I have won some amazing things like a luxury break in the Cotswolds," she said. "It's so nice for me because I would never be able to afford something like that."

SAVING: Natalie is saving up for her daughter's future by saving on food, transport and clothes [PH ]

But the main reason she likes scrimping and saving is to ensure her daughter has a great life and a better future.

She said: “The money I’m saving goes towards special occasions like Christmas and birthdays, I put some aside each month for Madison’s future so I can afford thing like her first car, driving lessons and a deposit for a house."

"The reason I do it is because I don't want Madison to worry about money," she added. "Children shouldn't even be aware of money."